Program Overview
The Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree program is designed for working adults who wish to earn their degrees part-time while they continue to advance in their professions.
Through the program, you will:
- Build a well-rounded foundation in the liberal arts fields and focused subject areas, such as business, computer science, international relations, economics, and psychology.
- Develop effective communication skills for academic and professional contexts.
- Learn to think critically across a variety of subjects — fostering an informed, independent worldview.
Your Harvard Degree
Bachelor of Liberal Arts (ALB) in Extension Studies
Program Benefits
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Customizable path, stackable certificates, & experiential learning
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Instructors from Harvard College and industry professionals at the top of their fields
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Personalized academic & career advising
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Entrepreneurial opportunities through the Harvard Innovation Labs
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Paid research options
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Harvard Alumni Association membership upon graduation
Customizable Course Curriculum
Our curriculum is flexible in pace and customizable by design. You can study part-time, choosing courses that fit your schedule and align with your career goals.
To focus your studies, you will choose a concentration: humanities, science, or social sciences. You may further narrow your focus further by choosing a field of study or minor.
Our top five fields of study are:
- Business Administration and Management
- Computer Science
- Economics
- Government
- Psychology
On-Campus Experience
The liberal arts degree program is offered nearly entirely online with just eight credits (ordinarily, two courses) completed in an immersive on-campus experience. Weekend options and short-term summer courses are available to fulfill the on-campus requirement.
The on-campus requirement can be completed through our accelerated or standard options:
Accelerated Option 1
Online courses with a required intensive weekend on campus. These courses are 4 credits each, allowing you to fulfill the requirement in two weekends.
Accelerated Option 2
Active learning weekend courses. These courses are two credits each, allowing you to fulfill the requirement in four weekends.
Standard Option
Harvard Summer School courses that meet only on campus. These courses are four credits each, allowing you to fulfill the requirement in:
- One seven-week session (taking two courses)
- Or two three-week sessions (taking one course per session)
Admissions
The path to your degree in liberal arts begins before you apply to the program.
You first register for and complete 3 degree courses, earning at least a B in each. These foundational courses are investments in your studies. They count toward your degree and help ensure success in the program.
To support your upfront investment costs, we reduced the tuition in a selection of these 3 courses to $1,000 each — a 50% reduction in our ordinary tuition costs. After admission, you may qualify for financial aid.
Upcoming Terms: Summer 2025 & Fall 2025
You can enroll in your first admission course this summer or fall. Course registration opens March 3 for summer and in mid-July for fall.
To get started, explore degree requirements, confirm your initial eligibility, and learn more about our unique “earn your way in” admissions process.
Stackable Pathways
In your liberal arts degree program, you may decide to earn an undergraduate certificate along the way to your full degree. Options include certificates in:
If you decide you want to continue on to earn a master’s degree at Harvard Extension School, explore our accelerated joint-degree path.
Faculty
Studying at Harvard Extension School means learning from the world’s best. Our instructors are renowned academics in a wide range of fields. They bring a genuine passion for teaching, with students giving our faculty an average rating of 4.6 out of 5.
Featured Faculty
Our Community at a Glance
In the Bachelor of Liberal Arts Program, you join a diverse student community of adult learners with years of full-time work experience, providing an enriching learning environment.
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27
Average Age
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1–2
Average Courses Taken Each Semester
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66%
Work Full Time
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97%
Would Recommend the Program
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97%
Degree Candidates with Transfer Credit
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Most
Earn Degree to Prepare for Graduate School
Career Opportunities & Alumni Outcomes
Equipped with a strong foundation in the liberal arts, our ALB graduates are well-positioned to advance in a range of fields, including government, entertainment, financial services, and healthcare.
Roles held by recent graduates include:
- Management consultant
- Director of data science
- Director of communications
- Senior multimedia designer
Alumni work at a variety of organizations, including:
- Amazon
- Bank of America
- JP Morgan
- Netflix
- Fidelity Investments
- US Veterans Administration
Many of our alumni go on to earn master’s degrees and PhDs at other Harvard schools and top universities, including:
- Harvard Divinity School
- Harvard Graduate School of Education
- Harvard Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
- Harvard Medical School
- Boston University
- Georgetown University
- University of Chicago
- University of Michigan
Career Advising and Mentorship
Whatever your career goals, we’re here to support you. Harvard’s Mignone Center for Career Success offers career advising, employment opportunities, and Harvard alumni mentor connections.
Your Harvard University Degree
Upon successful completion of the required curriculum, you will receive your Harvard University degree — a Bachelor of Liberal Arts (ALB) in Extension Studies.
Expand Your Connections: the Harvard Alumni Network
As a graduate, you’ll become a member of the worldwide Harvard Alumni Association (400,000+ members) and Harvard Extension Alumni Association (29,000+ members).
Ultimately, I want to teach, I want to keep researching and I want to keep using photography to explore anthropological ideas and really bring those ideas to the public.
Cost and Financial Aid
Affordability is core to our mission. When compared to our continuing education peers, it’s a fraction of the cost.
| Our Tuition (2024–25 rate) | $2,100 per course* |
|---|---|
| Average Tuition of Peer Institutions | $2,900 per course |
| Average Total Cost | $33,600–$67,200 |
*Three of our recommended courses for admission cost $1,000 each.
After admission, you may qualify for financial aid. Typically, eligible students receive grant funds to cover a portion of tuition costs each term, in addition to federal financial aid options.
Learn more about the cost of attendance.
Building Community
“Everyone along the way has been really understanding of having to balance a professional life with an academic life — and they’ve been extremely helpful in terms of fostering my creativity, curiosity, and ability to develop new knowledge.”
– Daniel M., degree candidate
